


Never Again

by Michael Alexander (MistressOakdown)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, F/M, Family Drama, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21543676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressOakdown/pseuds/Michael%20Alexander
Summary: Prompt: The Doctor and The Master get to meet their companion’s family, and a dark secret is revealed.A/N: I’m going to be real; This is a vent fic. I do hope that some people can get some kind of comfort from it, though.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Reader, Tenth Doctor/Reader/The Master (Simm), The Master (Simm)/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 151





	Never Again

Y/N watched the two men fly around the console, their hands rapidly flipping levers and pressing buttons as they piloted the time ship. She stood back, a solemn look on her face. The Doctor looked up at her excitedly, but his face quickly fell as he saw the expression on hers.

“Y/N, aren’t you excited? We’re finally going to meet your family!” He questioned, trying to get at least some kind of emotion out of his companion. She looked up at him before a smile spread across her face.

“Of course! I know you’re looking forward to it,” she answered him. The Master looked up, a concerned look on his face. He knew what her voice sounded like when she was legitimately happy about something, and that _wasn’t_ it. That was more like the voice she uses to _pretend_ she’s okay with something. He wasn’t going to push her, though. He knew humans often get nervous when their partners met their family; he was sure it was just that.

It didn’t take long for them to materialize down the street from her parents’ house, The Doctor not wanting to scare her parents with a time machine before he even got to meet them. The three of them left the TARDIS, The Doctor practically bouncing with excitement. The Master was more controlled, keeping a worried eye on his companion, who looked more and more uncomfortable the closer they got. He reached out and took her hand gently, the woman beside him looking up at him for a split second before her eyes snapped back in front of her. It wasn’t quick enough, though. The Master could recognize unfallen tears better than anyone.

They walked up the steps, The Doctor going ahead and knocking on the door. Y/N was practically hiding behind The Master, though neither of the men knew why. A few moments passed before a sweet-looking lady opened the door, and The Master felt Y/N’s posture immediately relax.

“Mom!” she exclaimed, scooting past the two Timelords to envelop the much shorter woman in a tight hug. The Doctor beamed, The Master’s frown turning slightly upward at the sight of his companion so happy. When the two women separated, her mother turned to the two men.

“Come inside, boys. It’s chilly out there,” she said, both of them thanking her as they entered the house. The introductions were short, The Doctor’s being much bubblier than The Master’s, of course. He was still concerned about Y/N’s behavior earlier, but she looked so happy right now; What could’ve been the reason for her fear earlier?

“Is she here yet?” They heard a man’s voice from deeper in the house, and Y/N’s smile instantly fell. The two aliens next to her immediately turned to look at her. She may be human, but they weren’t, and with their Timelord DNA came certain perks, one of which being telepathy. They could _feel_ the fear coursing through her. Her mother didn’t seem to notice, however, or if she did, she made no move to help.

“Yes, they’re in here,” she called back to him. A few seconds later, a man walked into the room, his eyes immediately landing on Y/N. The Doctor put on a smile, hoping to diffuse the tension.

“‘Ello! I’m The Doctor. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” He said, extending his hand to the man. He ignored him, though, instead staring at his daughter.

“You’ve gained weight,” he remarked simply, the girl looking down at the floor quickly. The Master tensed, glaring daggers at the man. It had taken him and The Doctor _months_ to get her to start eating normally. When they first met her, she focused more on counting calories and skipping meals than enjoying anything. Now he knew why. He glared daggers at the man, unnoticed as he may be. The Doctor tried once again to introduce himself to his companion’s father, this time getting his attention. He introduced himself as John Smith, saying that he was Y/N’s boyfriend and that they’d met at her university. They shook hands before the man turned to The Master. He gave a short greeting, introducing himself as Harry. According to him, he was a grad student working on a Master’s degree in Political Science. Without thinking about it, he also introduced himself as Y/N’s boyfriend. The father’s face quickly turned dark, the man turning back to his daughter.

“Whoring yourself out to two different men at a time? Are they giving you money, or have you just gone completely off the deep end now?” He asked, the girl looking close to tears.

“Dinner’s all ready on the table. Let’s go ahead and eat!” Her mom said quickly, trying to interrupt the conversation before it could get worse. The group moved to the dining room quickly, The Master taking Y/N’s hand in his once more. They all took their seats, Y/N in the middle of both Time Lords. The table was circular, and The Doctor was next to Y/N’s father, The Master next to her mother. As they started eating, The Doctor noticed cautious glances being directed at the man from Y/N. The aforementioned man cleared his throat.

“So, I see you’ve cut your hair again,” he said, causing Y/N to tense up for the second time that afternoon. She stared down at her plate, but the boys could feel the fear coming off of her again.

“What did I tell you about doing that? You look disgusting,” he asked, his voice gaining a slightly aggressive tone. The Doctor’s mouth fell open. He didn’t really just talk to his _daughter_ that way, did he? He was astonished, while The Master was more angry than anything. The girl looked up at her father, determination in her eyes.

“It was annoying me, so I cut it myself. You don’t control my hair,” she replied, The Master smirking. _There’s the woman he knew_. Her confident look turned to one of horror when her father slammed his hand down on the table, the girl jumping hard.

“You will _not_ speak to me like that in this fucking house, do you understand me? As long as you’re under my roof, you belong to me!” He growled at her, her mother sending a warning look his way. The Master started to say something, but he quickly felt her hand on his thigh. He looked over at her, her eyes pleading with him not to do anything. He sighed, and the meal continued. It was her mother that broke the silence next.

“So, how are your studies going, sweetheart? Enjoying your classes?” She asked, smiling at the younger woman. A small smile returned to Y/N’s face.

“Actually, I’ve, uh…” She began, casting a wary glance to her father, before looking back at her mother. “I’ve decided to drop out. I’ve gotten the opportunity offered to me to go traveling the world, so I’m going to do that,” she explained. No need to elaborate on the fact that saying _‘the universe’_ would’ve been a bit more accurate. Her mom smiled, but her dad’s eyes snapped back up from his food to meet hers.

“I don’t think you’re going to do that,” he stated darkly. The Doctor, always the optimist, the peacemaker, spoke up.

“She is! She found a wonderful opportunity with a couple of her friends. They’re leaving tomorrow, actually!” he explained. The father shook his head.

“Cancel it,” he demanded. Y/N’s eyes were full of terror, but she refused to back down.

“No. It’s my life, and I’ll do what I want to do with it. I’m going,” she replied. Everyone at the table tensed when her father jumped up from his seat, rounding the table to stand beside his daughter’s seat. She looked up at him, The Doctor and The Master both noticing a tear roll down her cheeks, despite the fearless look on her face.

“Get up,” he commanded.

“No,” she replied. Her mother gasped, before quickly getting up as well. The Master started to smile. _‘Maybe she’s actually going to help now’_ , he thought, but that assumption quickly dissipated when he watched the woman simply leave the room, abandoning her daughter to her father’s whims. He couldn’t help but wonder how many times this had happened before. He didn’t get to dwell in his thoughts for long, for the man standing above his girlfriend grabbed her by the back of the shirt, pulling her up out of her seat. 

The Doctor and The Master both stood as well, The Master standing behind her as The Doctor came to stand beside him. Once she was standing, he commanded her to look at him. The second they locked eyes, he reared back and swiftly backhanded her hard across the face, sending her backward. The Master caught her as she lost her balance, helping her get her feet back under her. The Doctor stepped between the two of them and her father, a look of rage written across his face.

“Why would you do that to your own _daughter_?” He questioned angrily, his disdain for the human in front of him tangible in the air. The shorter man smiled.

“Out of my way, boy,” the man warned, but The Doctor stood his ground.

“How dare you talk to her that way, your own flesh and blood? How _dare_ you?” he asked again.

“I can talk to her any way I goddamn please! She’s been nothing but a bitch her whole life! She needs someone to put her straight!” The man yelled back at The Doctor. At this, The Doctor’s face changed from anger to one even more dangerous. _Resolve_.

“Mark my words, sir. You are _never_ going to see your daughter again. I’m going to make sure you can never lay another finger on her again, and I will move every star in the sky to keep that promise,” The Doctor said darkly, The Master slightly impressed at the cruelty he manifested in those words.

“It’s people like you that make me wish I didn’t detest violence the way that I do,” he finished, before turning to the couple behind him. When he did, the man punched him in the back of the skull. Given, the punch didn’t have as much of an effect on him as it would on a human, but it still hurt. It was then that The Master snapped, waiting until The Doctor caught himself and was stable enough to hold Y/N, before turning on the man. The Master was shorter than both of them, but ten times as murderous. He grabbed the man by the throat, slamming him against a wall and lifting him up off his feet. He may be short, but he was also stronger than the human he was up against. A cruel smile formed on his adorably boyish face, the expression not seeming to fit his features.

“My partner may detest violence, but I quite enjoy it,” he began, his hand squeezing around the already-choking man’s throat slightly. “Now, _ape_ , listen closely. We’re going to take your daughter, we’re going to make sure she’s _safe_ , happy, and _as far away from your miserable existence as we can get her_. If you even _think_ about getting anywhere near our Y/N again, _I **will** kill you_. Do you understand?” The Master asked. The man nodded quickly, fear in his eyes. The shorter man slung him to the floor, before walking back over to The Doctor and Y/N. They went to leave, The Doctor deciding that it was best to simply pick their companion up and carry her. They both got out the door, The Master behind them, hesitating just inside the threshold.

“I’ll find you, you fuckers! I’ll find all three of you, and I’ll kill you!” The man yelled from his place on the ground. The Master froze, the same cruel smile returning to his face. He reached in his pocket, his fingertips brushing against the cool metal of his laser screwdriver. The human didn’t have time to react before the device was in his hand, barrel extended. He shot the table, the loud, high-pitched noise of the screwdriver coupled with the loud cracking of wood, the table splintering into pieces. He then pointed it at the man.

“Oh, trust me. _I hope you do_.” He said, before pocketing the device and walking out the door. He jogged to catch up with The Doctor, the three of them quickly making their way back to the TARDIS. The Master usually complained about the TARDIS’s ability to act of her own accord, but as they entered the ship, the doors locked and she dematerialized, putting herself in orbit around a galaxy far away from Earth. For once, he was grateful. They all made their way to Y/N’s bedroom, The Master running to pull the covers down so The Doctor could place her down on the soft bed. 

She immediately curled in on herself, shaking hard as she cried. They quickly crawled in beside her, one on each side. As they both worked to pull the covers up over the three of them, the two Time Lords shared a look, the silent vows they were making coming through clearly in their eyes. No one would _ever_ harm their human ever again. They would go about any means necessary to protect her. They didn’t know how much this had happened before she met them, but they knew that it wasn’t going to happen again. _**Never again.**_


End file.
